Five bright spots for the Orlando Magic in the 2022 season

5 bright spots from the Orlando Magic’s season

The rise of Sweet Franz

Through draft night and Summer League, there were question marks around Franz Wagner. He was constantly overlooked as people seemed to believe he was a “safe” pick or already pretty figured out.

The expectations for Franz Wagner were simple. He would do the little things and play strong defense.

However, Wagner has flipped the script and has put his name in the rookie-of-the-year conversations.

Wagner has been a surprise that has caught Orlando Magic fans off guard and adjusted the outlook of the team’s rebuild.

Wagner has shown the ability to play on and off the ball offensively with the ability to shoot from beyond the arc as he has averaged 15 points per game on 44.3-percent from the field and 35-percent from three.

Wagner also continues to play a higher level of defense than was expected. He has displayed a level of defense to play on-ball defense and play help defense. He can play an aggressive style of defense that allows to get into passing lanes and to protect the rim from the weak side.

This is possible because of Franz Wagner’s high basketball IQ that coach Jamahl Mosley constantly praises.

Even with his strong start, Wagner continues to impress with an outstanding month of December that should earn him Rookie of the Month.

In December, Wagner is averaging 18.2 points, which rank first in the league among rookies. He is also averaging 5.5 rebounds (10th), 3.8 assists (4th), and 1.3 steals (2nd) per game during December.

Wagner keeps getting better and better, and as there is no telling what his ceiling is, the idea of pairing the defense of Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac is going to be scary for the rest of the league.